-> 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


1.1 


m  ^^  Bi^ 

■tt  IM   12.2 
IS   |4£    12.0 

u 


11.25  IH  1.4 


6" 


1.6 


Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WiST  MAIN  STRUT 

WI*STIR,N.Y.  I45M 

(716)  •72-4303 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHIVI/iCIVIH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Tachnical  and  Bibliographic  Notas/Notas  tachniquas  at  bibliographiquas 


T 
to 


Tha  instituta  haa  attamptad  to  obtain  tha  baat 
originai  copy  avaiiabia  for  filming.  Faaturaa  of  thia 
copy  which  may  ba  bibliographically  uniqua, 
which  may  altar  any  of  tha  imagaa  in  tha 
raproduction.  or  which  may  aignificantly  changa 
tha  uaual  mathod  of  filming,  ara  chackad  balow. 


□    Colourad  covara/ 
Couvartura  da  coulaur 


I     I   Covara  damagad/ 


D 


D 


D 
D 


D 


Couvartura  andommagte 


Covars  raatorad  and/or  laminatad/ 
Couvartura  raataurte  at/ou  palliculte 


I     I   Covar  titia  miaaing/ 


La  titra  da  couvartura  manqua 


I     I   Colourad  mapa/ 


Cartaa  giographiquas  an  coulaur 


Colourad  inic  (i.a.  othar  than  biua  or  black)/ 
Encra  da  coulaur  (i.a.  autro  qua  blaua  ou  noira) 


r~n   Colourad  plataa  and/or  illuatrationa/ 


D 


Planchaa  at/ou  illuatrationa  an  coulaur 

Bound  with  othar  matarial/ 
Rati*  avac  d'autraa  documanta 

Tight  binding  may  cauaa  ahadowa  or  diatortion 
along  intarior  margin/ 

La  rB  liura  sarrie  paut  cauaar  da  I'ombra  ou  da  la 
diatortion  la  long  da  la  marga  intAriaura 

Blank  taavaa  addad  during  raatoration  may 
appaar  within  tha  taxt.  Whanavar  poaaibla.  thasa 
hava  baan  omittad  from  filming/ 
II  aa  paut  qua  cartainaa  pagaa  bianchaa  ajout^aa 
lora  d'una  raatauration  apparaiaaant  dana  la  taxta. 
maia.  loraqua  cala  ttait  poaaibla.  caa  pagaa  n'ont 
paa  6t6  f  ilmiaa. 

Additional  commanta:/ 
Commantairaa  suppl^mantairas; 


L'Inatitut  a  microfilm*  la  maillaur  axamplaira 
qu'il  iui  a  it*  poaaibla  da  aa  procurar.  Las  details 
da  cat  axamplaira  qui  aont  paut-Atra  uniquas  du 
point  da  vua  bibliographiqua.  qui  pauvant  modifiar 
una  imaga  raproduita.  ou  qui  pauvant  axiger  una 
modification  dana  la  mAthoda  normala  da  filmage 
aont  indiquAa  ci-daaaoua. 


I     I   Colourad  pagaa/ 


D 


Pagaa  da  coulaur 

Pagaa  damagad/ 
Pagaa  andommag^aa 

Pagaa  raatorad  and/oi 

Pagaa  raatauriaa  at/ou  palliculiaa 

Pagaa  discolourad,  stainad  or  foxa« 
Pagaa  dicolor^aa,  tachatias  ou  piqudes 

Pagaa  datached/ 
Pagaa  ditachies 

Showthrough/ 
Transparanca 

Quality  of  prin 

Qualit^  inigala  da  i'impraaalon 

Includaa  aupplamantary  mataric 
Comprand  dj  material  supplAmantaira 

Only  adition  avaiiabia/ 
Saula  Mition  diaponibia 


I — l^Pagaa  damagad/ 

I      I    Pagaa  raatorad  and/or  laminatad/ 

I      I yPagaa  discolourad,  stainad  or  foxad/ 
LLd^  Pagaa 

I     I    Pagaa  datached/ 

I      |>8howthrough/ 

I      I    Quality  of  print  variaa/ 

r*n   Includaa  aupplamantary  material/ 

I     I    Only  adition  available/ 


Pagaa  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slipa,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Lea  pages  totalement  ou  partieliement 
obscurcias  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  una  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  iti  film6es  i  nouveau  de  fapon  d 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


Tl 

P 
o 

fi 


O 
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th 
ai 
ot 
fit 
ail 
oi 


T» 
all 
Tl 
w 

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an 
ba 
rig 
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This  item  is  filmed  at  tha  reduction  ratio  chackad  below/ 

Ce  document  eat  film*  au  taux  da  reduction  indiqu*  ci-daaaoua. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


26X 


30X 


7 

12X 


16X 


aox 


24X 


28X 


32X 


The  copy  filmed  hora  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

National  Library  of  Canada 


L'exenr^iaire  film6  fut  reproduit  grAce  k  la 
gAn*ro«it4  de: 

BibliothAque  nationale  du  Canada 


The  Images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  bnd  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  Impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  — »-  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 

Msps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  images  suivantes  ont  At*  reprodultes  avec  ie 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  nettetA  de  i'exemplaire  filmA,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
fllmage. 

Les  exemplaires  orlginaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  ImprlmAe  sent  filmAs  en  commen9ant 
par  Ie  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
dernlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'Impresslon  ou  d'lllustration,  soit  par  Ie  second 
plat,  salon  Ie  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
orlginaux  sont  filmAs  en  commen^ant  par  la 
premlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'Impresslon  ou  d'liiustratlon  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  sulvants  apparaltra  sur  la 
dernlAre  Image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  Ie 
cas:  Ie  symbols  —^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  Ie 
symbols  ▼  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
fllmte  A  des  taux  de  reduction  diffArents. 
Lorsque  Ie  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichA,  11  est  fllmA  A  partir 
de  I'angle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  Ie  nombre 
d'images  nAcessalre.  Les  diagrammes  sulvants 
lllustrent  la  mAthode. 


1  2  3 


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5 

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DR.  KANE'S  ARCTIC  VOYAGE. 


rNTRODUCTORY  SKETCH. 

Before  vre  embark  on  our  expedition  to  the  regions  of  Eter- 
nal Ice,  let  us  glance  for  a  few  moments  at  the  antecedents, 
origin,  and  objects,  of  the  adventurous  crusade,  the  leading  scenes 
and  incidents  of  which  we  are  about  to  retrace.  The  Hero  of 
that  Crusade — the  brave,  the  magnanimous,  the  self-sacrificing, 
the  self-reliant — has  passed  from  among  us  to  a  world  where 
Martyrs  receive  their  reward;  but  the  name  of  Kane  shall 
never  pass  from  the  memory  of  his  Countrymen,  or  cease  to  be 
honored  b}'  the  whole  civilized  world,  while  greatness  of  soul 
and  true  practical  Christianity  continue  to  command  the  respect 
and  reverence  of  Mankind.  It  is  said  of  Napoleon  that  in  the 
prosecution  of  his  ambitious  projects  he  knew  no  such  word  as 
impossible.  Dr.  Kane  overcame  more  terrific  obstacles  than  Na- 
poleon ever  dreamed  of,  in  a  holier  cause.  His  mission  was  a 
mission  of  mercy  and  of  sympathy- — self-aggrandisement  never 
entered  into  his  thoughts.  Duty  was  his  guiding  star,  and  in  the 
sacred  cause  of  humanity,  his  powerful  intellect,  his  skill,  cour- 
age, and  almost  super-human  energy,  were  freely  enlisted. 
What  was  the  Passage  of  the  Alps  f  what  even  the  retreat  from 
Moscow,  compared  with  the  horrors  of  two  sunless  winters — one 
of  them  an  almost  fireless  and  foodless  vigil — passed,  in  a  tem- 
perature eighty  degrees  below  the  freezing  point,  surrounded  by 
the  whelming  snows  and  mighty  crystals  of  the  pole  ? 

It  is  sufficient  honor  to  have  enjoyed  the  confidence  of  such  a 
commander ;  and  my  friend  Mr.  McGary  (the  second  officer  of 
the  expedition)  and  myself  regard  the  kindly  mention  he  has 
made  of  our  services,  in  his  inter««iiRg>volumes,  as  an  inestimable 
legacy. 


J 


There  was  but  on9  member  ot  the  expedition  whom  he  forgot. 
It  was  himself.  But  for  hh  prudence,  foresight,  medical  skill,  and 
unwearied  efforts,  no  soul  of  us  would  ever  again  have  seen  the 
light  of  home.  With  the  elements  of  death  at  work  upon  his  sys- 
tem, he  literally  postponed  the  latal  crisis  until  his  duty  was  fulfill- 
ed. Dr.  Kane  was  a  small  n-.an.  His  weight,  when  in  perfect  health, 
did  not  exceed  one  hundred  pounds.  But  his  capacity  of  endur- 
ance was  marvellous ;  and  the  labors  he  performed,  even  when 
debilitated  by  scurvy,  that  fearful  scourge  of  Arctic  Latitudes, 
might  well  be  termed  gigantic.  He  ignored  sleep,  traversed  fro- 
zen deserts,  cheered  the  desponding,  quelled  the  mutinous, 
strengthened  the  irresolute,  guided  and  directed  all.  Amidst  the 
most  terrible  privations  ever  encountered  by  Arctic  voyagers,  he 
forced  his  way  beyond  what  had  been  considered  the  ultima  thule 
of  northern  progress,  never  neglecting  for  a  moment,  even  under 
the  most  disheartening  circumstances,  the  grand  purpose  of  the 
enterprise,  or  the  scientific  observations  and  researches  which 
were  its  subordinate  objects. 

I  was  about  to  refer  to  the  circumstances  which  gave  rise  to 
the  expedition,  when  these  remarks  on  the  character  and  labors 
of  its  lamented  chief,  suggested  themselves.  We  will  now 
briefly  review  the  leading  events  bearing  upon  the  subject. 

Dr.  Kane's  expedition  in  search  of  Sir  John  Franklin  and  his 
companions  was  the  second  that  had  left  our  shores  on  that  errand 
of  mercy.  The  first,  sent  out  in  1860,  under  the  command  of 
Lieutenant  De  Haven,  was  a  government  enterprise,  suggested, 
however,  by  Mr.  Henry  Grinnell,  the  munificent  merchant  and 
noble-hearted  philanthropist,  who  furnished  one  of  the  ships,  and 
contributed  largely  toward  the  outfit.  Dr.  Kane  accompanied 
the  expedition  as  surgeon,  ai»d  was  attached  to  the  Advance,  the 
same  vessel  in  which  he  afterwards  sailed  as  commander.  The 
voyage,  although  in  some  respects  disastrous,  was  not,  as  you 
are  aware,  entirely  unsuccessful.  Traces  of  the  lost  explorers — • 
sad  traces  in  the  shape  of  graves  and  abandoned  articles — were 
found. 

No  effort  had  been  spared  to  discover  the  fate  of  these  unfor- 
tunate men.  In  1849  Sir  John  Ross  returned  from  an  unsuc- 
cessful search  on  the  side  of  Baffin's  Bay,  having  been  unable  to 


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penetrate  as  far  westward  as  on  his  previous  voyages.  Two 
other  English  expeditions  had  been  equally  fruitless.  It  was 
then  determined  to  try  the  route  through  Behring*s  Straits  to 
Banks's  Land  and  the  adjoining  archipelago,  and  the  Investiga- 
tor and  Enterprise,  under  Capt.  McClure,  were  ordered  thither 
by  the  British  government.  Three  British  squadrons  were4 
about  this  time  dispatched  to  the  polar  regions — one  under  Sir 
Edward  Belcher  (whose  expedition  has  been  rendered  so  memor- 
able by  the  recovery  and  restoration  of  the  Resolute ;)  another 
(Lady  Franklin's)  under  Captain  Penny;  and  the  third  under 
Captain  McClure,  who  discovered  the  Northwest  Passage.  In 
December,  1S50,  all  these  exploring  parties,  together  with  the 
first  Grinnell  expedition,  under  De  Haven,  were  wintering  within 
a  circumference  of  a  few  hundred  miles,  utterly  unconscious  of 
their  vicinity  to  each  other.  Near  Griffith's  Land  lay  H.  B.  M.'s 
ships  Resolute,  Assistance,  Pioneer,  and  Intrepid;  Captain 
Penny's  two  brigs  were  in  harbor  further  north ;  the  Investigator 
lay  in  Prince  of  Wales's  Strait,  and  at  the  mouth  of  Lancaster 
Sound,  drifting  eastward  with  the  pack,  were  the  two  American 
ships  under  Lieutenant  De  Haven.  On  board  of  one  of  the  latter 
were  Dr.  Kane  and  two  of  the  party  who  subsequently  served 
under  him,  viz. :  Mr.  Brooks,  afterwards  his  first  officer,  and  my- 
self. There  was  yet  another  expedition  within  the  Arctic  circle 
that  winter.  Mr.  Rae,  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company's  service, 
was  within  some  three  hundred  and  fifty  miles  of  the  Investigator, 
waiting,  on  the  margin  of  G'f at  Bear  Lake,  for  a  temperature 
that  would  allow  him  to  start  oi!  his  land  journey.  Possibly — 
who  can  tell  ? — in  that  same  December,  1850,  Sir  John  Franklin 
and  his  companions  may  have  been  dragging  out  a  miserable 
existence  at  a  point  not  very  far  remote  from  some  of  the  parties 
in  quest  of  them. 

Of  all  these  expeditions  only  two  succeeded  in  finding  traces 
of  the  missing  mariners.  The  net  results  of  the  explorations 
made  at  the  instance  of  the  devoted  and  undespairing  Lady 
Franklin,  from  1849  up  to  the  sailing  of  Dr.  Kane's  expedition, 
in  the  Spring-  of  1S53,  may  be  summed  up  in  a  few  T"ords. 

Sir  John's  two  vessels,  the  Erebus  and  Terror,  wert  last  seen 
on  the  29th  of  July,  1945,  in  the  upper  waters  of  Baffin's  Bay, 


•^. 


'•»' 


waiting  for  an  opening  in  the  pack.  They  passed  the  winter  of 
1845-6  at  Beechy  Island.  This  fact  we  clearly  ascertained  dur- 
ing the  search  of  the  first  Grinnell  expedition  in  1S60.  The 
next  and  only  further  items  of  information  were  the  well-known 
story  related  by  the  Esquimaux  to  Mr.  Rae,  touching  the  death 
of  a  party  of  emaciated  white  men  on  the  banks  of  Great  Fish 
River,  and  the  purchase  by  Rae  of  a  number  of  articles  of  plate 
and  other  utensils,  which  have  been  identified  as  having  belonged 
to  Sir  John  Franklin  and  his  officers. 

These  data,  meagre  as  they  were  in  amount,  were  anything  but 
encouraging;  but  Lady  Franklin,  noble  wife,  and  true  woman 
that  she  was,  did  not  despair.  She  had  expended  a  large  fortune 
in  a  hitherto  fruitless  search,  but  hope  still  remained.  She  be- 
sought Dr.  Kane  to  make  one  more  effort  to  find  her  beloved 
husband,  and  he  responded  warmly  and  cordially  to  the  appeal. 
Her  noble  enthusiasm  and  indomitable  persistence— K]ualities  in- 
herent in  his  own  nature — moved  his  sympathy  and  he  resolved 
to  further  her  wishes  to  the  utmost  of  his  power.  The  impulses 
of  a  benevolence,  unlimited  and  inexhaustible,  were  stimulated 
also  by  a  deep  admiration  for  the  character  of  Sir  John  Franklin 
himself.  Mr.  Henry  Grinnell,  the  large-minded  and  noble- 
hearted  projector  of  the  De  Haven  expedition,  undisheartened  by 
its  issue,  offered  his  co-operation  and  his  purse.  The  brig  Ad- 
vance, in  which  Dr.  Kane  had  sailed  before,  was  placed,  by  that 
gentleman,  at  his  disposal  for  the  cruise  ;  Mr.  Peabody,  of  Lon- 
don, the  distinguished  American  Banker,  proffered  his  aid  to- 
ward her  outfit ;  the  Geographical  Society  of  New  York,  the 
Smithsonian  Institute;  the  Philosophical  Society,  and  other 
scientific  bodies,  furnished  a  supply  of  instruments  for  the  pur- 
poses of  observation ;  and  the  JVavy  Department,  by  an  official 
order,  assigned  Dr.  Kane  to  the  command  of  the  expedition. 
The  Advance  was  a  staunch  brig,  of  120  tons  burthen,  and  her 
complement  of  officers  and  men  consisted  of  eighteen  persons, 
exclusive  of  the  commander.  I  will  give  you  their  names,  as  I 
shall  have  to  refer  to  some  of  them,  while  explaining  the  scenes 
and  incidents  to  which  I  intend  to  introduce  you  :  Henry  Brooks, 
first  officer  ;  Dr.  J.  J.  Hayes,  surgeon ;  August  Sontag,  astron- 
omer ;  James  McGary,  second  ofiicer ;  Messrs.  Wilson,  Riley, 


J- 


Ohlsen,  (ship's  carpenter,)  Bonsall,  Stephenson,  Whipple,  God- 
frey, Goodfellow,  Blake,  Baker,  Schubert,  (cook,)  Hickey,  and 
myself.  Ten  of  the  party  were  regularly  attached  to  the  U.  S. 
Navy,  and  detailed  by  the  department  for  the  service.  The 
otheis  were  engaged  by  private  liberality.     All  were  volunteers. 

Our  equipment  consisted  of  a  variety  of  excellent  sledges,  for 
ice  and  land  travel,  some  India  rubber  and  canvas  tents,  and  a 
quantity  of  boards  intended  as  winter  housing  for  the  vessel.  Of 
provisions  we  had  a  fair  supply,  consisting  of  Pemmican  (t.  c, 
pulverized  cured  meat  mixed  with  fat,)  meat,  biscuit,  dried  pota- 
toes, pickles,  dried  fruits,  and  vegetables.  Besides  the  searticles 
we  had  the  regular  navy  rations,  a  moderate  supply  of  liquors, 
some  malt,  and  a  brewing  apparatus.  Our  wardrobe  of  woolens 
was  of  the  most  approved  kind,  and  we  had  abundance  of  articles 
of  barter.  Add  to  this  list  a  fine  library  and  a  valuable  set  of  in- 
struments, and  you  have  pretty  nearly  the  sum-total  of  our  goods 
and  chattels. 

Dr.  Kane  had  resolved  to  sail  up  Baffin's  Bay  to  its  northern- 
irost  attainable  point,  and  thence  press  toward  the  pole  with  his 
party  in  boats  and  sledges,  carefully  examining  the  coast-lines  for 
vestiges  of  Sir  John  Franklin's  expedition.  He  had  inferred, 
from  facts  and  analogy,  that  Greenland  extended  farther  to  the 
north  than  any  other  known  land,  and  hoped  on  some  of  its 
yet  unvisited  headlands  to  discover  some  beacon,  indicative  of 
the  fate  of  the  lost  navigators. 

The  plan  of  the  voyage  having  been  settled,  the  equipment 
of  the  ship  and  party  completed,  and  the  regulations  which 
were  to  govern  us,  issued  by  the  commander,  we  left  the  port 
Oi*  New  York  on  the  30th  of  May,  1S53,  and,  amid  the  hearty 
*•  God  speeds !"  of  crowds  of  friends,  put  to  sea. 

THE  VOYAGE. 

Imagine,  if  you  please,  that  we  have  called  at  St.  Johns, 
Newfoundland,  received  from  Governor  Hamilton,  by  way  of 
souvenir,  a  noble  team  of  Newfoundland  dogs,  passed  into  Baf- 
fin's Bay,  and  reached  the  coast  of  Greenland. 


>-l 


*»^-!^ 


Here  we  are,  on  the  1st  of  July,  1S63,  at 

FISKERNAE8, 

among  the  hospltahle  Danes  and  semi-Christianized  Esquimaux. 
In  tiie  scene  before  you,  the  little  settlement  (which,  by  the  way, 
rejoices  in  unsurpassable  codfish)  is  portrayed  with  much  fidelity. 
It  is  situated  on  a  fiord,  or  inlet,  some  eight  miles  from  the  open 
bay,  and  is  approached  by  n  channel  studded  with  picturesque 
slands.  Here  we  lay  in  our  supplies  of  Cod,  salted,  and  dried, 
without  salt  in  the  open  air.  Here,  also,  we  engage,  through  the 
kind  offices  of  the  Danish  superintendent,  a  dexterous  young 
Esquimaux  hunter,  named  Hans  Christian,  who  thinks  it  a  small 
matter  to  transpierce  with  his  javelin  a  bird  on  the  wing,  and 
with  whom  we  shall  draw  closer  the  bonds  of  fellowship,  as  we 
recognise  the  value  of  his  services,  on  our  progress  north.  Hans, 
like  most  of  his  blubber-fed  nation,  is  fat,  greasy,  good-natured, 
and  phlegmatic  ;  and  is  warranted  never  to  fire  up,  except  under 
the  excitement  of  the  chase.  We  also  engage  an  interpreter 
named  Petersen. 

Leaving  Fiskernaes,  we  skirt  the  Greenland  shore,  visit  the 
Monivian  settlement  at  Lichtenfels,  touch  at  Sukkertop,  or 
Sugar  Loaf,  an  insulated  peak  which  towers  3,000  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea,  and  so  proceed  slowly  northward,  purchasing 
native  dogs  for  our  sledges  at  the  diflerent  settlements  on  our 
route.  At  Upernavik,  the  resting-place  of  the  Grinnell  expedi- 
tion in  1851,  after  its  long  winter  drift  from  Lancaster  Sound, 
we  pause  for  a  couple  of  days,  to  refresh  ourselves  on  the  thresh- 
old, as  it  were,  of  the  polar  world.  Passing  Duck  Islands  (where 
the  Advance  grounded  in  1661)  and  the  entrance  of  Melville 
Bay,  we  get  among  decayed  land  ice,  and  the  29th  of  July  finds 
us,  for  the  first  time, 

MOORED  TO  AN  ICEBERG. 

We  have  scarcely  a  breathing  spell  in  our  new  quarters.  You 
see  our  peril  graphically  depicted  in  this  striking  and  impressive 
scene.  First  the  overhanging  crest  of  our  deceptive  shelter  be- 
gins to  crackle  and  shiver.     Down  come  a  few  small  fragments 


s- 


Wtn 


of  ico,  the  first  droppings  of  the  storm.  **  Cast  ofT!  Cast  ofT!" 
is  the  cry.  There  are  no  idlers  now ;  for  the  issue  is  life  or 
death  !  Scarcely  aia  vt.'  a  boat's  length  from  the  berg,  when  the 
first  avalanche  descends,  and  in  a  moment  the  whole  enormous 
mass  falls  in  ruins  with  a  crash  like  the  explosion  of  a  magazine, 
We  leave  some  four  hundred  fathoms  of  whale-line  behind  us, 
but  we  are  safe,  thank  God.  Ah !  it  was  all  the  world  to  a 
China  orange  against  us.     What  an  escape ! 

Let  me  now  transport  you  through  splendors,  at  which  we  have 
scarcely  time  to  glance,  to  a  point  of  extraordinary  interest, 

THE  CRIMSON  CLIFFS 

of  Beverley.  A  spectacle  gorgeous  beyond  description 
heralded  our  approach  to  them.  The  midnight  sun  came  out 
over  the  crystal  battlements  of  an  enormo  is  ice-tower,  lighting  it 
up  with  many-colored  fires,  as  for  some  high  festival,  while  the 
floes  around  flashed  and  sparkled  as  if  their  dull  masses  had  sud- 
denly been  changed  to  rubies,  carbuncles  and  burning  gold.  It 
was  through  this  sea  of  jewels  that  we  made  our  way  to  the  scene, 
which,  I  assure  you.  is  portrayed  with  wonderful  accuracy  on  this 
canvas.  The  Crimson  Cliffs,  so  called  from  the  red  snow 
which  covers  them,  and  which  has  been  supposed  to  derive  its 
tinge  from  the  peculiar  species  of  lichen  on  the  face  and  in  the 
clefts  of  the  rocks,  are  among  the  most  striking  natural  features  of 
this  portion  of  the  polar  seas.  When  illuminated  by  the  sunlight, 
or  by  the  corruscations  of  the  Aurora  Borealis,  they  have  more 
the  appearance  of  being  garlanded  with  roses  than  encased 
in  snow.  A  good  idea  of  what  is  technically  termed  a  degraded 
iceberg  (i.  e.,  an  iceberg  which  has  literally  broken  down  and 
caved  in — a  huge  frigid  ruin)  may  be  derived  from  the  represen- 
tation of  one  of  these  razeed  masses,  in  the  present  division  of 
our  voyage.     We  are  now  fairlv  in  the  North  Water. 

The  next  point  of  interest  is  a 

REGION  OF  GIGANTIC  ICEBERGS 

in  the  neighborhood  of  Littleton  Island,  and  near  Capes  Alexan- 


8 

der  aud  Isabella — the  majestic  ramparts,  some  2,000  feet  high, 
which  flank  the  entrance  of  Smith's  Sound.  The  rising  of  the 
moon  over  the  water  and  ice,  and  the  Aurora  which  you  will  pre- 
sently observe,  will  enable  you,  in  some  measure,  to  realize  two 
magnificent  scenes  witnessed  by  Dr.  Kane  and  his  companions 
near  this  spot.  On  Littleton  Island  we  discover  some  memorials 
of  the  Esquimaux,  in  the  shape  of  long-deserted  huts,  weapons, 
domestic  inpiements,  and  grarmi  occupied  by  the  half  recumbent 
bodies  of  the  dead.  Sad  signs,  these,  of  the  decay  of  a  nation  of 
nomads  soon  to  be  numbered  among  the  things  that  were.  Here 
too  we  bury  our  life-boat,  with  a  supply  of  stores  to  be  used  as  a 
dernier  resort,  should  disaster  compel  an  untimely  retreat.  We 
name  the  place  of  deposit  Life-boat  Cove,  plant  the  American 
flag  on  the  cairn  that  covers  our  provisions,  leave  a  brief  memo- 
randum for  any  friend  that  may  chance  to  pass  that  way,  and 
then,  after  saluting  the  stars  and  stripes  with'three  hearty  cheers, 
sail  on  our  way  rejoicing. 

We  now  begin  to  close  with  the  pack-ice,  and  not  far  ahead 
the  **  ice  blink,"  a  peculiar  haze  that  denotes  the  vicinity  of  vast 
fields  of  congelation,  warns  us  that  we  are  near  the  head  of  polar 
navigation  in  Smith's  Sound.  Walrus  herds  and  a  few  white 
bears  begin  to  show  themselves.  It  is  well  that  it  is  so,  for  the 
Esquimaux  sledge-dogs,  fifty  in  number,  and  scarcely  half-re- 
claimed from  the  savage  state,  are  ravenous  as  starving  wolves. 
A  dead  narwhal,  or  sea-unicorn,  found  on  the  rocks,  and  weighing 
600  pounds,  scarcely  stays  the  stomachs  of  the  cormorants  for 
three  days ! 

So  far  I  have  considered  you  my  fellow- voyagers  ;  but  before 
us  are  the  high  polar  latitudes,  the  unrelenting  polar  winter.  I 
will  not  make  you  shudder  by  inviting  you  to  accompany  me,  even 
in  imagination,  into  an  atmosphere  50^degrees  below  zero,  where 
quicksilver  is  a  solid  metal,  and  the  toughest  wrought-iron  as 
brittle  as  glass  ;  but  will  simply  play  the  historiographer,  and  re- 
late to  you,  as  a  story  of  the  past,  the  leading  incidents  connected 
with  the  scenes  to  which  your  attention  will  be  invited. 

Our  next  stopping-place  was  a  land-locked  inlet  on  the  coast  of 
Littleton  Island,  into  which  we  were  forced  by  the  pressure  of 
massive  pack-ice.    At  my  friend  McGary's  suggestion,  it  was 


>.  t  ■^ 


■s 


le 

B- 
IS 

Is 
s, 
It 

)f 

•e 
a 
e 
n 


i> 


9 

named  "  Refuge  Cove."  Thence  we  rqade  a  perilous  passage  along 
the  "  land  water,"  between  ihe  floes  and  the  shore,  to  the  scene  of 
the  hair-breadth  escape  from  destruction  here  portrayed.  For 
several  days  we  had  scudded  through  drift  ice  before  a  strong  gale, 
when  we  suddenly  found  ourselves  in  close  proximity  to  the  rocky 
island  before  you,  to  which  we  succeeded  in  making  fast.  Feeling 
what  good  service  it  had  done  us  in  our  extremity,  what  a  God~ 
send  it  was  to  reach  it,  and  how  gallantly  it  protected  us  from  th« 
grinding  ice,  we  gave  to  this  anchorage  the  name  of 

GODSEND  LEDGE. 

But  our  respite  was  short.  We  had  been  in  harbor  but  two  days, 
and  had  scarcely  established  a  shooting  acquaintance  with  the  grim 
walrus  which  thronged  around,  when  a  hurricane  from  the  south 
was  upon  us.  To  use  Mr.  McGary's  strong  expression,  "  it  blew 
the  devil  himself."  Our  six  and  ten-inch  hawsers  snapped  like 
pack-threads,  and  away  went  the  brig  into  the  wild  ice,  and  at  its 
mercy.  How  she  went,  this  illustration  of  our  awful  predicament 
may  enable  you  to  guess.  We  dropped  our  best  bower  anchor,  but 
it  scarcely  checked  her.  On  she  drove,  scraping  a  lee  of  ice  forty 
feet  thick.  One  mighty  mass  made  a  half  summersault  over  her 
gunwale,  smashing  our  bulwarks  to  pieces.  At  last  we  managed  to 
plant  an  anchor  on  a  moving  berg,  which,  after  towing  us  through 
an  ice-walled  channel  so  narrow  that  we  had  to  brace  the  yards  in 
order  to  clear  the  frozen  bluffs,  brought  us  into  open  water.  Never 
did  heart-tried  men  acknowledge  with  more  gratitude  their  deli- 
verance from  impending  death. 

Nearing  the  "  ice-belt,"  or  margin  of  ice  which  in  high  northern 
latitudes  adheres  to  the  coast  above  the  ordinary  level  of  the  sea, 
we  continued  working  to  the  northward  by  "  tracking,"  or  towing  the 
brig.  Harnessed  like  horses  on  the  tow-path  of  a  canal,  we  contrived 
to  haul  the  brig  along  at  the  rate  of  about  three  knots  an  hour.  Thus 
we  progressed,  often  in  imminent  danger,  sometimes  aground  and 
once  on  fire,  until  the  28th  of  August,  when  we  became  partially 
embayed  among  the  shore  ice,  and  Dr.  Kane  determined  to  start 
on  a  boat  and  sledge  expedition  in  search  of  a  winter  hatbor  for 
the  brig. 


^'•:>k ' 


10 

EXPEDITION  IN  §EARCH  OF  A  HARBOR. 

Our  lightest  whale-boat  was  selected  for  the  undertaking.  We 
named  her  the  "  Forlorn  Hope."  She  was  roofed  with  canvas, 
covered  with  tin  as  a  protection  against  the  bay  ice,  furnished 
with  a  sledge,  plenty  of  pemmican,  a  lamp,  and  some  cooking 
apparatus.  Seven  of  us  volunteered  to  accompany  the  comman- 
der— Brooks,  McGary,  Bonsall,  Sontag,  Riley,  Blake  and  my- 
self. Ohlsen  was  placed  in  command  of  the  Advance,  and  Dr. 
Hayes  in  charge  of  her  log.  A  shaking  of  hard  hands — hands 
with  hearts  in  them — three  cheers,  and  we  were  off. 

Twenty-four  hours  brought  us  to  the  end  of  our  boating.  The 
impenetrable  pack  barred  our  way.  Hauling  our  craft  on  the 
ice-belt,  we  stowed  her  in  a  snug  spot,  and  started  with  our  sledge, 
laden  with  a  few  necessary  articles.  Our  road  was  over  a  table, 
or  shelf  of  ice,  overhanging  the  sea,  at  the  base  of  impending 
limestone  rocks,  over  a  thousand  feet  in  height.  This  crystal 
highway  was  obstructed  with  huge  blocks,  and  by  tongues  of  rock 
extending  across  it  from  the  face  of  the  bluffs  to  the  seaward  mar- 
gin. Our  line  of  march  was  also  frequently  intersected  by  water- 
courses and  deep  gorges.  One  of  the  ravines,  which  we  named 
Coffee  Gorge,  proved  a  serious  impediment.  We  crossed  it  in  a 
snow  storm,  and  the  scene  has  been  admirably  reproduced  by  the 
artist  in  the  view  before  you.  In  the  background  are  the  giant 
cliffs,  of  which  I  have  spoken,  some  of  them  fifteen  hundred  feet 
above  the  ocean  level. 

Cheered  on  by  our  indomitable  commander,  we  pushed  forward 
on  our  reconnoitering  tour,  bivouacking  at  night  on  the  snow  under 
the  rocks.  Once  the  tide  overflowed  us  in  our  tent,  forcing  us  to 
stand  up  to  the  hip  in  water,  with  our  sleeping  gear  elevated  above 
our  heads,  until  the  ebb  left  us  high,  but  not  by  any  means  dry. 
The  ice-belt  was  indented  Xiy  fiords  or  bays,  and  at  some  points 
the  limestone  rock  formed  a  succession  of  terraces,  rising  dne 
above  another,  for  many  hundred  feet,  with  wonderful  regularity. 
It  was  the  magnificent  masonry  of  an  Almighty  Architect !  Skele- 
tons of  the  musk-ox  were  thickly  scattered  through  a  portion  of 
this  region.  During  our  progress  we  discovered  an  immense  ri- 
ver, three-quarters  of  a  mile  wide  where  it  disembogued  into  the 


u 


Sound.  It  was  named  by  the  commander  Minturn  River.  A 
veek's  laborious  travel,  during  which  we  forded  and  swam  many 
streams,  and  crossed  immense  crevasses,  brought  us  to  a  headland 
eleven  hundred  feet  high,  from  the  crest  of  which  the  "  Great 
Glacier  of  Humboldt,"  and  the  land  stretching  far  northward  from 
the  northeast,  and  now  bearing  the  name  of  Washington,  were 
plainly  visible.  In  the  far  distance  were  Cape  Andrew  Jackson  and 
Cape  John  Barrow,  and  between  them  an  unbroken  area  of  solid 
ice.  Here  we  turned,  and  our  commander  being  satisfied  that  the 
inlet  in  which  he  had  left  the  Advance  afforded  a  better  winter 
harbor  than  we  had  seen  on  our  route,  the  parly  hastened  back  to 
rejoin  their  comrades  on  board  the  brig.  On  reaching  the  vessel, 
no  time  was  lost  in  warpingher  into  a  snug  spot  between  two  islands, 
where  we  found  seven  fathom  soundings,  and  a  perfect  shelter  from 
the  outside  ice.  Let  me  now  introduce  her  to  you  as  she  lay  in 
her  winter'  quarters  at 

RENSSELAER  HARBOR, 


where  she  still  lies,  in  latitute  78.43,  if  her  strong  timbers  have 
not  yet  broken  up  from  the  pressure  of  the  surrounding  ice.  The 
expedition,  you  will  suppose,  has  just  returned.  It  is  Septem- 
ber. The  long  night  "  in  which  no  man  can  work,"  is  at  hand, 
and  all  hands  are  preparing  for  it.  The  rising  sun,  so  soon  to  set 
for  months,  looks  more  glorious  than  ever.  The  effect  in  the 
picture  is  striking,  and  as  truthful  as  it  is  beautiful.  This  is  a 
midnight  scene,  and  Byron's  poetic  phrase,  "  The  Noon  of  Night," 
may  well  be  applied  to  it.  . 

We  now  busied  ourselves  in  earnest  with  our  preparations  for 
winter.  The  young  ice  had  massed  together  rapidly,  and  we  were 
completely  frozen  in.  There  was  no  time  to  lose.  The  deck 
was  housed  in  with  boards,  and  caulked  with  oakum.  A  system  of 
warming  and  ventilation  was  established ;  the  arrangements  for  light- 
ing, cooking,  and  ice-melting,  were  cared  for ;  the  dogs  were 
kennelled  in  squads ;  fire-holes  were  cut  in  the  ice  as  a  resort  in 
case  of  fire  ;  and  our  domestic  programme  was  prepared  with  the 
most  exact  attention  to  cleanliness,  exercise,  recreation,  and  dis- 
cipline. On  a  rocky  islet  near  by,  known  as  Butler  Island,  we 
built  the 


13 


WINTER  STOREHOUSE, 

which  figures  prominently  in  this  view.  There,  too,  we  con- 
structed a  dog-house,  but  the  perverse  brutes  would  not  live  in 
it.  On  another  insulated  rock,  about  a  hundred  yards  off,  we  built 
our  observ&tory.  Provisions  were  the  main  consideration.  We 
had  as  yet  seen  no  deer,  and  hunting  in  the  black  darkness  of  an 
arctic  winter  was  out  of  the  question.  Salt  junk  and  salt  fisk 
were,  in  a  double  sense,  scurvy  fare ;  so  we  tried  to  extract  the 
salt  by  soaking  and  drying.  By  this  means  we  freshened  them — 
slightly.  Dr.  Kane,  ever  looking  to  the  future,  now  trained  his 
Newfoundlands  for  sledge  service.  He  contemplated  a  bold  push 
to  the  northward  in  the  spring,  and  proposed  to  establish  a  chain 
of  provision  depots  in  advance.  'J  he  nearest  links  of  the  chain 
were  to  be  laid  down  with  the  assistance  of  the  Newfoundlands. 
For  the  more  distant,  he  intended  to  employ  the  Esquimaux 
teams.  The  former  of  these  objects  was  however  accomplished 
by  Messrs.  Bonsall  and  McGary,  with  a  party  of  five  men,  with- 
out the  assistance  of  the  dogs.  If  time  would  allow,  I  should  like 
to  give  the  particulars  of  their  journey  as  I  received  them  from  my 
friend  McGary.  The  sledge  was  dragged  by  manual  labor,  each 
member  of  the  human  team  having  his  own  ♦*  rue-raddy,"  or 
shoulder-belt,  and  other  necessary  harness  for  the  work.  After 
the  party  had  been  out  twenty  days.  Dr.  Kane,  becoming  alarmed, 
started  in  search  of  them  with  his  Newfoundlands.  He  found 
them,  almost  by  a  miracle,  and  brought  them  back  frost-bitten,  and 
broken  down  by  exertion,  cold  and  privation. 

The  view  now  presented  represents  the 

MEETING    OF    DR.    KANE  AND  THE  MISSING 

PARTY. 


^^i 


Worn-down  as  the  men  were,  they  were  making  their  way  to 
the  brig  at  the  rate  of  twenty-five  miles  per  day  (after  twenty- 
eight  days  of  exposure  on  the  ice)  when  the  commander  en- 
countered them.     Ah  !  it  was  a  joyous  meeting  ! 

Deeper  and  darker  grew  the  twilight  that  precedes  the  Arctic 
winter.     October  was  upon  us.     Fresh  rations  were  scarce — so 


!'  V 


13 


>*^l    '^ 


scarce,  that  after  smoking  the  ship  to  clear  it  of  rats,  some  of  us 
began  to  think  ot  mating  them.  This  was  actually  done  the  fol- 
lowing winter,  and  rat-soup  became  a  luxury  at  the  commander's 
table.  Hans  and  Petersen  brought  in  a  few  hares  and  ptarmigans, 
a  fox  now  and  then,  and  occasionally  a  deer ;  but  the  supplies 
were  few  and  far  between.  We  had  our  domestic  misfortunes 
too.  The  brig  took  fire  and  barely  escaped  destruction,  and  our  un- 
ruly Esquimaux  dogs  bothered  us  not  a  little.  By  way  of  vary- 
ing the  performances,  one  of  them  went  mad. 

A  little  while  and  darkness  was  upon  us — a  <'  darkness  that 
might  be  felt."  Here  is  a  scene  from  our  long  night.  The  loca- 
lity is 

SYLVIA  HEADLAND, 

a  rocky  promontory  near  Rensselaer  Harbor — the  time  high 
noon.  Mark  this  view  particularly,  for  it  is  the  perfect  reflex  of 
the  celestial  phenomena  in  those  regions.  Darkness — the  stars — 
the  moon — at  the  hour  of  meridian  !  And  now  you  see  the 
"  Northern  Lights,"  tinging  the  sky  with  their  variegated  splen- 
dors. 

Fancy  us  now,  if  you  please,  settled  for  the  season.  A  long 
and  dreary  one  it  was.  For  one  hundred  and  twenty  days  the 
sun  was  below  the  horizon,  and  the  outside  temperature  ranged  from 
40  to  60  degrees  below  zero.  But  we  were  not  without  enjoy- 
ments in  our  close  quarters.  Sailors,  you  know,  are  proverbially 
light-hearted.  With  a  pack  of  cards,  and  occasionally  moderate 
splicins;  of  the  main  brace,  and  a  few  old-time  yarns,  we  managed, 
until  sickne!;s  fell  upon  us,  to  keep  care  at  bay.  And  then,  too, 
we  had  our  plans  for  the  spring  to  talk  over,  and  an  arctic  news- 
paper, "  The  Ice-Blink,"  to  give  us  the  news  of  the  day.  We 
•even  managed  to  get  up  a  Fancy  Ball !  Above  all,  we  had  the 
example  of  our  ever-cheerful,  indefatigable  commander. 

The  moon  was  now  a  glorious  object,  sweeping  the  whole  circle 
of  the  heavens,  far  above  the  horizon,  and  reminding  us  of  the 
sparkling  nights  when  we  used  to  dash  over  the  home-snows,  to 
the  sound  of  merry  sleigh-bells,  "  long  time  ago." 

As  the  winter  advanced,  our  dogs  sickened  and  died.  All  the 
Newfoundlanders,  and  all  but  six  of  the  Esquimaux,  perished.  The 


14 


scurvy  began  to  show  itself  among  the  men.  We  had  no  fresh 
meat.  The  walrus  had  left  us,  and  Hans,  expert  as  he  was, 
could  rarely  secure  any  small  game. 

Such  was  our  condition  when  the  opening  of  February  brought 
with  it  a  faint  glimmer  of  the  coming  light.  We  could  see  each 
other's  faces  in  the  twilight,  and  mark  how  they  had  bleached  in 
the  absence  of  the  all-coloring  sun. 

FERN,  OR  OBSERYATORY  ISLAND. 

The  sight  of  our  magnetic  observatory  presented  a  singular 
appearance.  The  ice-belt,  skirting  Fern  Island  and  Butler 
Island,  had  been  enormously  increased  in  bulk  by  the  overflow  of 
the  tides,  and  having  been  broken  up  by  the  rising  and  falling, 
through  the  long  winter,  of  a  tidal  wave  of  thirteen  perpendicular 
feet,  it  presented  a  bristling  wall  of  fragments  of  the  most  fantastic 
shapes.  It  may  be  inferred,  from  the  scene  before  you,  that  it  was 
no  easy  matter  to  scale  these  ramparts  of  ice  piled  in  magnificent 
confusion  around  our  observatory.  Between  us  and  the  islet,  and 
encircling  its  rocky  shore,  were  three  bridges  of  ice-blocks,  twenty 
feet  high,  and  over  a  hundred  and  thirty  feet  in  width.  Wc 
climbed  over  them  with  the  aid  of  poles,  and  other  appliances, 
but  not  without  great  difficulty  and  some  danger. 

On  the  21st  of  February,  1854,  Dr.  Kane  clambered  to  the 
summit  of  the  headland,  and  caught  the  first  glimpse  of  the  re- 
turning sun.  Our  beloved  commander  was  suffering  (in  silence, 
of  course)  from  scurvy  and  debility.  The  sight  of  the  long-ab- 
sent orb  refreshed  and  cheered  him.  He  says  in  his  journal,  "  I 
saw  him  once  more ;  and  upon  a  projecting  crag  nestled  in  the 
sunshine." 

March  brought  us  back  to  the  uninterrupted  day,  but  still  the 
thermometer  registered  between  40  and  60  degrees  below  zero. 
On  the  20th  of  the  month,  a  depot  party.  With  a  sledge,  started  to 
cache,  or  bury  provisions  in  advance,  to  sustain  the  exploring 
parties  which  were  to  follow.  This  was  a  most  disastrous  ex- 
pedition. On  the  twelfth  day  from  the  time  of  their  departure, 
three  of  the  party  (Sontag,  Ohlsen  and  Petersen)  returned.  They 
were  swollen,    haggard,    scarcely  sane.     The   others — Brooks, 


15 


J- 


Baker,  Wilson  and  Schubert — were  lying  frozen,  disabled,  dying 
perhaps,  in  the  far-off  icy  wilderness.  Ohlsen,  wrapped  in  furs, 
was  placed  on  a  sledge  as  guide,  and,  with  a  small  party  of  volun- 
teers, away  went  our  devoted  commander  in  search  of  his  ship- 
mates. After  an  unbroken  and  fasting  march  of  twenty-one  hours, 
a  small  American  flag  was  descried  fluttering  from  a  hummock, 
and  near  it  a  tent  nearly  covered  up  by  the  snow.  The  rescue 
party  drew  up  at  the  tent  entrance,  and  begged  the  commander  to 
enter  alone.  He  crawled  in  ;  a  feeble  shout  from  the  four  pros- 
trate men  welcomed  their  deliverer ;  a  louder  cheer  answered  it 
from  without.  ♦*  They  had  expected  him,"  they  said  ;  "  they  were 
sure  he  would  come."  Well  did  he  deserve  such  confidence. 
The  poor  fellows  reached  the  brig  in  a  sad  condition.  They  had 
been  out  eighty-one  hours,  almost  without  food,  wholly  without 
sleep.  All  of  them  were  fearfully  frost-bitten,  and  partially  de- 
ranged. Two — Jeflferson  Baker  and  Peter  Schubert — were 
death-struck.  The  former  died  of  lock-jaw  in  thirty-six  hours 
after  his  return  ;  and  poor  Schubert,  our  cook,  did  not  long  sur- 
vive. They  were  true  men  both.  Presently  I  will  show  you 
where  and  how  they  were  entombed. 

While  watching  by  the  death-bed  of  Baker  we  were  startled 
by  a  loud  halloo  from  the  land.  Dr.  Kane  and  all  of  us  who  could 
walk,  clambered  upon  deck.  Numbers  of  human  beings,  swad- 
dled in  skins,  dotted  the  snow-shores  of  our  harbor.  We  saw  at 
once  that 


TIIE  LONG-EXPECTED  ESQUIMAUX 


had  arrived.  The  commander,  unarmed,  met  them,  as  they  ad- 
vanced, with  signs  of  welcome,  which  were  reciprocated  by  the 
leader  of  the  party  (>letek)  a  powerful  Indian,  and  they  were 
soon  on  board,  eating  everything  edible  they  could  get  hold  of, 
like  devouring  locusts.  It  was  their  first  interview  with  white 
men,  but  they  manifested  no  fear.  They  had  plenty  of  sledges 
and  fine  dog-teams — really  dashing  turn-outs.  1  am  afraid  we 
envied  them.  The  scene  of  the  meeting  is  graphically  depicted 
here,  but  the  after-scenes  no  pencil  could  adequately  illustrate. 
They  ate  and  thieved,  and  chattered,  and  snored,  in  a  style  per- 


16 


fectly  unique  and  indescribable.  They  remained  witb  us  until 
the  morning,  and  then  departed,  their  journey  being  expedited  by 
a  charge  of  small  shot  sent  among  them  by  Mr.  McGary,  as 
they  were  cutting  up  our  India-rubber  boat,  which  had  been  left 
on  the  floe  near  Buder  Island.  We  purchased  four  dogs  from 
them  before  they  left. 

As  April  closed,  Dr.  Kane  and  seven  men  started  on  another 
exploring  expedition,  along  the  line  of  caches  made  the  previous. 
October,  extending  toward  the  Great  Glacier.  This  enterprise 
proved  a  failure,  so  far  as  its  object  of  forcing  a  passage  to  the 
north  was  concerned ;  but  Arctic  features  of  the  highest  interest 
presented  themselves  on  the  journey.  Prominent  among  these 
natural  wonders  were 

THE  THREE  BEOTHER  TURRETS 

and 

J 

TENNYSON'S  MONUMENT, 

delineated  very  effectively  in  the  scene  now  coming  into  view. 
While  seeking  to  attain  the  extreme  point  of  North  Greenland, 
the  party,  a  little  to  the  north  of  latitude  79,  came  upon  a  group 
of  natural  pillars  of  red  sandstone,  capped  with  greenstone,  and 
having  the  appearance  of  regularly  jointed  masonry.  These  col- 
umns, which  were  three  in  number,  received  from  the  explorers 
the  name  of  the  *♦  Three  Brothers."  From  the  coast-wall 
there  rose  what  seemed  an  artificial  causeway,  leading  to  a  sun- 
lighted  gorge.  At  the  edge  of  this  bright  opening  rose  the  sem- 
blance of  a  huge  castle,  flanked  with  these  triple  towers,  iso- 
lated and  standing  out  in  bold  relief. 

Beyond  Sunny  Gorge  another  equally  marvellous  freak  of  na- 
ture arrested  the  attention  of  the  travellers.  A  single  shaft  of 
greenstone,  as  sharply  finished  as  if  it  had  been  cut  or  cast  for  a 
national  monument,  towered  to  the  height  of  four  hundred  and 
ejghty  feet  above  a  plinth  or  pedestal,  nearly  three  hundred  feet 
in  height,  which  formed  its  base !  Nothing  fashioned  by  the 
hands  of  man  has  ever,  or  can  ever,  equal  that  God-made  column. 
Associating  it  with  certain  passages  in  the  works  of  a  great 
poet,  the  commander  named  it  "  Tennyson's  Monument." 


■ 


t 


17 

The  next  grand  spectacle — the  grandest  of  all — that  broke 
upon  the  party,  was 

THE  GREAT  GLACIER  OF  HUMBOLDT. 

As  far  as  artistic  skill  can  do  justice  to  this  prodigy  of  the  polar 
circle,  it  is  represented  here.  Words  can  convey  no  adequate 
idea  of  a  sun-illumined  glassy  wall,  from  three  to  five  hundred  feet 
above  the  water-level,  and  with  an  unfathomable  depth  below  it, 
stretching  northward  for  sixty  miles,  and  vanishing  into  space  at 
a  distance  of  perhaps  not  more  than  a  day's  railroad  travel  from 
the  pole  !  The  interior  of  Greenland,  from  which  it  issued,  was 
a  vast  mer  de  glace,  or  ice-ocean,  apparently  boundless.  The 
glacier  formed  an  impassable  barrier  to  further  exploration  in  that 
direction.  Dr.  Kane  has  called  it  '*  the  Crystal  Bridge  which  con- 
nects the  two  continents  of  Greenland  and  America."  Greenland 
certainly  is  a  continent,  being  more  than  twelve  hundred  miles  in 
extent  from  its  southernmost  point.  Cape  Farewell,  to  the  glacial 
masses  in  the  80th  parallel.  The  party  followed  the  base  of  this 
Arctic  rampart  as  far  as  practicable,  and  discovered  a  new  north- 
ern land,  trending  far  to  the  west,  which  Dr.  Kane  named  Wash- 
ington. A  large  bay,  separating  it  from  the  coast  of  Greenland, 
is  designated  on  his  chart  as  Peabody  Bay. 

Unable  to  penetrate  further,  the  explorers  now  made  their  way 
back  to  the  brig.  They  arrived  in  a  deplorable  plight.  Some 
were  disabled  by  scurvy,  others  afflicted  with  snow-blindness. 
The  bears  had  broken  up  their  provision  eaches,  and  they  had 
suffered  terribly  from  want  of  food.  Dr.  Kane  had  entirely  suc- 
cumbed, and  was  brought  in,  strapped  upon  the  sledge,  frost-bit- 
ten, delirious  and  apparently  dying.  From  the  14th  to  the  22nd 
of  May,  he  fluctuated  between  life  and  death,  but  from  that  time 
began  slowly  to  recover.  About  the  same  date,  poor  Schubert, 
our  cook,  the  merriest  of  our  party,  whose  songs  and  sallies  had 
so  often  cheered  us,  breathed  his  last.  His  body  was  encased  in 
a  pine  coffin  and  placed  side  by  side  with  that  of  his  messmate 
Baker,  on  Observatory  Island.  He  was  borne  to  his  last  home  by 
sorrowing  comrades,  who  knew  not  bow  soon  they  might  follow 
him  to  the  Unknown  Land.  Dr.  Hayes  read  an  appropriate 
chapter  from  the  Holy  Book,  and  now,  for  lack  of  dust^  wa» 
2 


^8 

sprinkled  on  the  coffin-lid.  Th6re  was  no  burial — for  no  grave 
could  be  dug  in  the  adamantine  soil — but  the  frost  embalmed  our 
dead. 

Our  camp  life — if  I  may  so  call  it — was  nowenlivened  by 
hunting  the  seal,  killing  an  occasional  bear,  and  shooting  ducks, 
doTekies,  gulls,  and  ptarmigan,  Hans  being  our  principal  Nimrod. 
— The  progress  of  vegetation  was  rapid,  and  many  specimens  of 
Arctic  plants  were  collected.  Our  brig  had  been  divested  in  part 
of  its  winter  cover,  the  weather  was  genial,  and  the  sick  were 
doing  well.  In  May  and  early  June  two  expeditions  north  were 
undertaken — one  under  Dr.  Hayes,  the  other  under  Mr.  McGary. 
Both  resulted  in  interesting  discoveries,  and  were  accompanied 
by  awful  hardships,  but  neither  resulted  in  forcing;  a  passage  be- 
yond the  point  already  attained. 

I  will  now  invite  your  attention  to  another  expedition,  made 
by  Hans  and  myself  under  instructions  from  Dr.  Kane.  We 
had  a  light  sledgo  and  four  dogs.  The  first  notable  point  we 
reached  was  the  mouth  of  a  channel  (subsequently  named  Ken- 
nedy Channel)  the  headlands  of  which  were  visible  to  the  north 
land  west.  The  travel  here  was  difficult  and  we  came  near  los- 
ng  our  sledge  and  dogs.     One 

SCENE  EST  THE  CHANNEL 
is  well  delineated  in  the  view  now  presented  to  you.  Moving 
onward,  depending  upon  our  guns  for  support,  we  coasted  the 
estuary  or  strait,  for  we  knew  not  which  it  was,  for  some  days. 
During  this  time  we  made  tremendous  havoc  among  the  eider- 
ducks  and  other  aquatic  birds,  which  hovered  in  numbers 
around  us,  and  on  one  occasion,  after  a  tough  encounter,  slaught- 
ered a  huge  white  bear  and  her  cub.  I  will  not  detain  you  by 
relating  the  incidents  of  a  journey  which  finally  brought  us  to 
a  cape  two  hundred  miles  north  of  all  our  former  explorations. 
Beyond  that  cape,  stretching  as  far  as  the  eye,  assisted  by  the 
telescope,  could  reach,  was  the  iceless  open  sea  I  The  unfrozen 
ocean  that  had  been  supposed  to  surround  the  pole,  was,  as  I 
then  believed  and  as  I  still  believe,  before  me ;  its  waves,  surg- 
ing from  the  farthest  north,  were  breaking  at  my  feet  I  My 
point  of  sight  was  five  hundred  and  eighty  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  sea  that  barred  our  further  advance.  The  appearance  of 
the  vast  expanse  of 


19 

OPEN  WATER, 

as  I  saw  it  ft'om  Cape  Independence,  is  well  delineated  here 
and  the  rising  sun,  and  the  celestial  phenomena  observed  in 
that  region,  are  correctly  represented  in  the  order  in  which 
they  occurred.  The  Cape  is  in  latitude  81.22  and  in  longitude 
65.35  W.  It  was  the  extreme  limit  of  our  progress.  You  may 
imagine  my  feelings  as  I  swept,  with  my  glass,  a  water  hor- 
izon of  full  forty  miles,  between  which  and  the  spot  whore  I 
stood,  not  a  speck  of  ice  was  to  be  seen.  That  this  was  the 
"  polar  basin,"  heretofore  conjectural,  there  is  no  good  reason 
to  doubt.  The  cause  of  its  fluidity,  I  leave  others  to  explain. 
It  may  be,  as  Dr.  Kane  suggested,  that  the  Gulf  Stream,  already 
traced  to  Kova  Zerabla,  is  turned  aside  by  that  peninsula  to  the 
space  around  the  pole,  and  that  its  superior  temperature  pre- 
vents the  fonnation  of  ice  within  a  certain  area. 

On  our  return  to  Rensselaer  Harbor,  we  found  tlie  com- 
mander preparing  for  an  expedition  south  to  Beechy  Island,  in 
search  of  assistance  from  Sir  Edward  Belcher's  squadron.  The 
summer  was  drawing  to  a  close.  There  was  no  chance  of  ^jet- 
ting the  vessel  out  of  the  ice.  We  were  all  out  of  health,  and 
before  us  were  the  horrors  of  another  winter,  without  necessary 
food  or  fueh  We  needed  succor  if  ever  men  did.  I  joined  the 
expedition,  which  started  on  the  12th  of  July,  with  our  whale- 
boat  on  a  sledge.  We  returned,  unsuccessful,  on  the  6th  of 
August.  We  were,  however,  "fat  and  saucy,"  having  fared 
sumptuously  during  the  trip,  on  auks,  eider-ducks,  and  scurvy- 
grass  salads. 

With  sad  forebodings  we  now  began  to  prepare  for  the  second 
winter.  Our  daily  prayer  was  no  longer  "  Lord,  accept  our 
gratitude,  and  bless  our  undertaking,"  but  "  Lord,  accept  our 
gratitude,  and  restore  us  to  our  homes.''''  Even  our  brave  com- 
mander had  given  up  all  hope  of  finding  any  traces  of  Sir  John 
Franklin.  Dr.  Hayes,  and  eight  others  of  the  party,  left  the 
brig  about  this  time,  hoping  to  make  their  waj  to  the  open  wa- 
ter south,  and  thence  to  the  Danish  settlements.  Mr.  Brooks, 
Mr.  McGary,  myself,  and  five  others,  remained  to  share  the 
fortunes  of  our  beloved  commander. 

One  twilight  day  in  October,  we  received  an  unceremonious 
visit,  the  nature  of  which  you  will  understand  from  the  "  coun- 
terfeit presentment"  in  this  view.     We  were  discussing  the 


expediency  of  a  trip  to  the  Esquimaux  sottlomente,  in  search  of 
walrus  meat,  when  a  lively  sensation  was  occasioned  by  the 
cry  of 

"NANNOOKl  NANNOOK!"   A  BEABI   A  BEAR  1 

Sure  enough,  when  wo  reached  the  dock,  there  she  was  on 
the  ice,  with  a  fine  cub,  tossing  our  dogs  right  and  left,  as  a 
terrier  would  toss  so  many  rats.  Our  fire-arms  were  soon  in 
requisition.  Dr.  Kane  put  a  pistol-ball  into  the  cub,  and  Ohl- 
sen  a  rifle-bullet  into  the  mother.  But  "  Nannook"  had  come 
for  supplies,  and  was  not  to  be  scared  off  by  trifles.  Teaiing 
down  with  her  powerful  fore  limbs-  the  beef  casks  that  fonced 
our  storc-iiouse,  she  mounted  the  rubbish,  and  taking  a  '  irrel 
of  herrings  in  her  teeth,  and  her  damaged  cnl.  l>etween  her 
hind  legs,  she  endeavored  to- make  her  escape.  The  dogs,  how- 
ever, stuck  staunchly  to  her,  and  as  she  backed,  lighting,  from 
the  brig,  we  gave  her  a  shower  of  buckshot  and  ball  which 
settled  her  worldly  affairs.  Tlie  oub  then  sprang  upon  the 
corpse,  and  made  a  brisk  fight  until  muzzled  and  secured^ 
We  found  nine  balls  in  the  body  of  the  mother. 

Tlie  interior  of  the  brig  had  been  lined  with  moss,  and  madie 
as  much  as  possible  like  native  Igloe  or  hut.  For  some  time 
past  we  had  had  unrestrained  intercourse  with  the  Esquimaux, 
who  had  two  settlements  within  from  50  to  80  miles  of  us,  and 
we  adopted  many  of  their  admirable  precautions  against  coldl 
Our  only  fuel  was  old  junk  and  the  inner  wood-work  of  the* 
vessel,  and  our  lamps  were  fed  with  the  melted  fat  of  salt  pork;. 
Near  us,  as  here  depicted,  were  the  tombs  and  epitaphs  of  our 
deceased  shipmates,  gloomily  hinting,  as  it  were,  at  our  own 
probable  fate.    When  we  looked  at  these 


MEMENTOES   OF  THE  DEAD, 

and  thought  of  our  own  forlorn  condit;  mi,  weak,  scurvy-eaten, 
and  the  black  winter  approaching,  what  could  we  expect  but  a 
cruel  death  in  the  Arctic  wilderness ! 

One  by  one,  ae  the  ccld  and  darkness  increased,  we  were 
stricken  down,  until  at  last  almost  the  whole  executive  duty — 
cooking,  watching,  nursing,  hunting — fell  upon  our  commander, 
his  fc.ithful  henchman  Hans,  and  one  or  two  others.    Had  it 


9t 

not  been  for  the  E»!qnimaux,  whom  Dr.  Kane  complctoly  won 
by  his  kindiiesB,  wo  had  Biirely  perished.  They  behaved  well 
to  iiR  in  our  greatest  extremity. 

Christmas  day — merry  Christmas  in  the  land  wo  had  left — 
foil  nd  us  very  low,  yet  cheerful.  "We  strove  to  imagine  the 
roast  turkey  and  plum-pudding,  as  wo  discussed  the  salt  pork 
and  unpalatable  beans.  McGary  enlivened  the  festivities  with 
a  story.  We  had  heard  it  before,  but  it  was  aj}ropo8.  Cojsnr 
Johnson,  colored  whitewasher,  is  the  guest  of  Undo  Ben  of  the 
same  complexion  and  profession.  They  are  dining  on  pork 
and  the  appropriate  trimmings.  "  Bring  on  the  resarve,  ole 
woman,"  says  Uncle  Bon  to  Mrs.  Ben,  with  a  hospitable  wave 
of  the  hand.  "  Haint  got  no  resarve,"  is  the  response.  "  Well, 
den — bring  on  de  beans."    So  much  for  Christmas. 

I  now  introduce  you  to  a  very  interesting,  animated  Bcene,  a 

WALRUS  HUNT. 

By  the  flesh  of  this  uncouth  animal  human  life  in  tlie  liigh 
latitudes  is  principally  sustained.  The  Esquimaux  hold  the 
blubber  in  the  highest  esteem,  and  devour  it  in  enormous  quan- 
tities— say  six  pounds  at  a  meal — with  a  gusto  which  turtle- 
loving  aldermen  might  envy. 

Here  you  see  one  of  the  methods  of  killing  these  monsters, 
which  weigh  from  700  to  1000  lbs.  each.  Hans  had  been  dis- 
patched to  Etah,  tlie  lost  remote  of  the  two  native  settlements 
within  our  reach,  in  seai*ch  of  fresh  meat  for  his  scurvy-ridden 
comrades,  and  in  consideration  of  his  rifle  and  his  skill,  had 
been  permitted  to  share  the  hunt,  a  favor  which  entitled  him 
to  a  portion  of  the  spoil.  On  this  occasion  a  large  walrus  was 
harpooned,  and  tethered  to  the  ice  by  the  natives.  Hans  then 
finished  him  with  Iiis  rifle,  and  received  his  proportion  of  the 
carcass,  which  we  subsequently  devoured.  The  aurora  reflec- 
ted on  the  icebergs  in  this  scene  is  very  fine  and  equallv  truth- 
ful. 

Many  excursions  were  made  from  the  brig,  principally  in 
search  of  food,  and  many  incidents  occurred  on  board,  of  which 
I  have  not  time  to  tell.  We  were  in  constant  intercourse  with 
the  Esquimaux.  Dr.  Kane  often  visited  their  settlements,  and 
was  always  received  as  a  benefactor  and  a  brother.  The  whole 
tribe  loved  him. 


22 

As  Dr.  Kane  predicted  when  they  left  us,  the  party  which 
had  deserted  the  brig  in  hope  of  reaching  the  open  water  to  the 
south,  returned  after  enduring  great  hardships,  and  we  were 
now  one  party  again. 

At  the  dawning  of  our  second  polar  spring,  the  commander, 
seeing  there  was  no  chance  of  saving  the  brig,  determined  to 
leave  her  and  make  a  push  for  th«  south  and  the  Danish  settle- 
ments, with  boats  and  sledges.  Due  preparation  was  made,  and 
by  the  20th  of  May  we  were  ready  to  start  on  our  adventurous 
journey.  We  had  three  boats,  the  "Hope,"  "Faith,"  and 
"  Red  Eric" — the  largest,  the  "  Red  Eric,"  in  pretty  good  trim, 
the  others  so-so.  Our  provisions,  guns,  ammunition,  and  out- 
fit of  clothing,  &c.,  having  been  placed  in  the  boats,  and  the 
boats  on  sledge-runners,  we  bade  adieu  to  the  vessel  with  much 
solemnity.  Prayers  and  a  chapter  of  the  Bible  were  read,  and 
the  1  ^Ip  of  heaven  earnestly  invoked.  The  commander  left  a 
memorial  on  board,  stating  his  reasons  for  abandoning  the  brig 
and  the  course  he  had  resolved  to  take.  At  Etah  some  walrus- 
meat  and  four  dogs  were  obtained.  Tlie  first  halting-place  of 
the  main  body  of  the  party  forms  the  subject  of  this  scene. 

You  see  our 

EOAT  CAMP  IN  A  SNOW-STORM, 


just  as  the  commander  found  it  on  his  return  from  Etah,  whi- 
ther he  had  been  for  supplies.  Once,  after  we  left  the  brig. 
Dr.  Kane  and  myself  had  occasion  to  return  to  it  for  some 
stores  for  the  sick.  An  enormous  raven,  one  of  a  pair  that  had 
taken  possession  of  our  deserted  home,  took  wing  from  the  deck 
as  we  drew  near.  Tlie  storm  which,  as  y©u  perceive,  nearly 
buried  our  first  encampment  was  a  precursor  of  far  more  mel- 
ancholy disasters.  It  followed  us  to  the  next  halting-place, 
and  again  snowed  us  up  there.  By  the  6th  of  June,  we  were 
near  "  Life-Boat  Cove,"  with  several  of  the  friendly  Esquimaux 
accompanying  us.  Hans  was  absent.  Rumor  said  that  faith- 
less to  a  lady-love  he  had  left  at  Fiskernaes,  he  had  gone  off 
to  get  married  to  an  Etah  heiress.  Inconstant  killer  of  seals 
and  eater  of  blubber  !     We  saw  him  no  more. 

Tide-holes  began  to  show  themselves  in  the  ice  as  we  pro- 
ceeded southward ;  signs  that  we  were  nearing  the  open  water. 
From  one  of  these  holes  Ohlsen  extricated  one  of  the  boats  by 


23 

main  strength,  but  bo  strained  himself  in  the  effort,  that  he  died 
a  few  days  afterwards.  "We  laid  him  in  a  rocky  gorge,  over- 
hung by  a  cliff,  to  which  we  gave  his  name,  and  placing  a  rude 
tablet  on  his  breast,  covered  the  body  with  rocks  to  protect  it 
from  the  bears  and  foxes. 

Near  Cape  Ohlsen  we  had  very  nearly  lost  our  best  boat  and 
all  that  it  contained.  The  incident  is  vividly  illustrated  in  this 
picture  of  the 

BKOKEN    FLOES. 

Suddenly,  as  we  were  moving  cautiously  over  the  ice,  the  Eed 
Eric  disappeared  through  a  fissure.  Blake,  Bonsall  and  others 
*  of  the  party,  succeeded  by  long  continued  exertion  in  dragging 
her  on  the  solid  part  of  the  floe.  The  cargo  was  not  inj  ured, 
and  we  greeted  her  safety  with  three  cheers.  It  was  a  miracle 
no  lives  were  lost.  Stephenson  was  caught,  as  he  sank,  by  one 
of  the  sledge-runners,  and  I  was  already  drifting  under  the  ice 
when  Mr.  Bonsall  caught  me  by  the  hair  and  saved  me.  At 
Life-Boat  Cove  we  recruited  our  stock  of  provisions  from  our 
reserve  depot  on  the  island,  and  then  pushed  forward.  On  the 
16  th  of  June,  by  God's  help,  we  had  reached  the 

SOUTHERN  OPEN  WATER. 

It  took  us  a  week  to  caulk  our  boats  and  stow  cargo.  At  the 
end  of  that  time,  the  commander  called  our  Esquimaux  friends 
together,  and  we  bade  them  an  affectionate  farewell.  The  scene 
was  of  a  character  which  this  mute  canvas  cannot  enable  your 
hearts  to  realize.  Presents,  chiefly  tools  and  cutlery,  were  given 
to  the  adults.  The  children  had  cakes  of  soap — heaven  knows 
they  ededit.  "Kuyanake, kuyanake,  nalegak-soak."  "Thank 
you!  thank  you,  Big  Chief!"  resounded  on  all  sides.  The 
"  big  chief"  addressed  them  gently,  gratefully,  encouragingly. 
He  told  them  of  tribes  of  Esquimaux  from  which  they  were 
separated  by  the  glaciers  and  the  sea,  of  the  greater  duration  of 
daylight,  the  more  profitable  hunting,  the  better  fishing,  to  the 
south.  They  listened  with  deep  interest  and  besought  him  to  re- 
turn and  take  them  to  the  happier  Southern  Land.  Perhaps 
they  may  one  day  find  their  way  thither,  with  Hans,  the  stout 
hunter,  but  faithless  lover,  as  a  guide.    The  women  wept,  and 


r 


24 

there  was  no  mistaking  the  earnest  good  wishes  of  the  men. 
For  a  long  time  they  had  ceased  to  steal  from  us.  "  You  have 
done  us  good,"  said  Metek,  anglice  the  "  Eider-Duck,"  "  we 
will  not  take ;  we  want  to  help  you — we  are  friends."  On  Sun- 
day the  17th  of  June,  just  before  midnight,  we  launched  the 
"  Ked  Eric,"  with  three  cheers  for  Henry  Grinnell  and  "  home- 
ward bound,"  but  a  storm  delayed  our  embarkation.  On  the 
19th,  the  weather  having  moderated,  at  4  P.  M.  we  started  on 
our  perilous  voyage.  The  commander  led  the  way  in  the 
"  Faith,"  the  "  Ked  Eric"  followed,  with  the  Hope  in  her  wake. 
We  passed  Northumberland  Island  on  the  22d,  but  as  we  ad- 
vanced, the  muscular  strength  of  the  party  failed.  Our  diet 
was  miserable.  On  the  25th,  while  fastened  to  a  floe  during  a 
fog,  a  terrific  gale  from  the  north  burst  upon  us.  The  imminent 
peril  we  were  in  may  be  surmised  from  this  view  of  our  posi- 
tion during 

THE  STORM  OFF  WEARY-MAN'S  REST, 


-f- 


as  we  afterwards  named  the  spot.  Our  floe  was  driven  be- 
fore the  wind  upon  the  ice-foot  of  an  adjacent  rock.  In  an  in- 
stant the  wildest  ruin  was  around  us.  Even  Dr.  Kane  gave  up 
all  hope  of  escape.  It  was  not  a  "  nip"  such  as  is  familiar  to 
Arctic  voyagers.  The  whole  platform  around  us  for  hundreds 
of  yards  was  crushed  to  pieces.  How  we  were  saved,  no  man 
knew ;  but  suddenly  we  found  our  boats  afloat  and  borne  madly 
along  in  a  tumultuous  rush  of  ice  and  water,  amid  a  clamor 
louder  than  the  braying  of  a  thousand  trumpets.  At  last  we 
brought  up  with  one  boat  stove  and  the  others  strained,  in  a 
gorge  of  the  ice-bound  clifi's,  which  will  ever  be  remembered 
by  all  of  us  as  the  Weary  Man's  Rest.  We  were  now  in  luxu- 
rious quarters.  Flocks  of  eider-ducks  were  continually  flitting 
past.  Multitudes  of  nests  were  around  us.  For  three  days  we 
gathered  twelve  hundred  eggs  a  day,  and  feasted  royally.  Nay, 
we  even  indulged  our  patriotism  with  a  brewing  of  egg-nog 
(borrowing  the  liquor  sparingly  from  our  alcohol  flask)  on  the 
day  we  lowered  our  boats  and  again  set  forth.  The  indulgence 
was  excusable  for  it  was  the  FOURTH  OF  JULY. 

Our  friendly  sheltering  place  at  WEARY  MAN'S  REST  ap- 
pears in  the  scene  before  you.    It  will  be  observed  that  we  were 


0' 


^"^; 


"37 


Vi 


<■* 


completely  encaved  in  our  crystal  retreat.  Ah !  you  sliould 
have  seen  us  eating  those  eggs  and  drinking  that  nectar  I 

From  this  point  we  advanced  on  our  rugged  way  along  the 
Gi'eenland  coast,  doing  the  work  of  horses,  until,  toward  the 
middle  of  the  month,  we  reached  a  series  of  bird  haunted  bluffs, 
which  the  commander  named  Providence  Cliffs.  Here  we 
halted  to  feast  and  fatten  on  birds  and  eggs,  with  scurvy-grass 
as  "garden  sarse."  There  was  a  bleak  ice-field  a-head,  but 
few  of  us  were  aware  of  it. 

On  the  18th  we  were  again  afloat.  One  of  our  boats,  the 
Hope,  was  injured  in  launching,  and  we  lost  our  best  shot-gun 
and  only  kettle.  We  soon  reached  the  "Crimson  Cliffs,"  a 
view  of  which  you  have  had  on  the  outward  voyage.  They 
were  gladly  welcomed  as  familiar  landmarks,  by  the  homeward 
bound.  Esquimaux  were  to  be  expected  in  this  region,  but  we 
saw  none.  Unfortunately,  after  advancing  beyond  Cape  York, 
we  encountered  something  much  less  friendly — ^impassable  ice 
floes.  We  cut  up  the  "  Eed  Eric,"  deposited  her  planks  on  the 
other  two  boats,  rigged  up  our  sledges,  assumed  our  rue-raddies, 
and  with  faint  heai  ts  and  feeble  limbs,  turned  in  our  tracks  to 
look  for  an  opening.  The  third  day  we  found  an  open  lead  and 
re-embarked.  After  several  providential  escapes  from  destruc- 
tion, and  when  all  but  dying  for  want  of  fresh  food,  we  CE^me 
upon  a  large  seal.  Petersen  shot  him.  That  shot  saved  our 
lives.  We  fed  and  were  strengthened.  No  more  hunger  after 
that.  Seal  were  plenty.  We  reached  Duck  Islands,  landed  on 
terra  firma,  knelt  and  thanked  God !  The  long  pilgrimage  was 
nearly  over.  A  few  days  more  and  we  hailed  a  native  in  his 
kayak,  or  fishing-boat.  Petersen,  who  had  been  engaged  in 
Greenland,  knew  the  man.  But  the  Esquimaux,  on  the  autho- 
rity of  Petersen's  wife,  insisted  that  he  was  dead,  and  would 
not  believe  to  the  contrary. 

Within  a  week  thereafter  we  were  at  Upernavik,  among  our 
Danish  friends.  For  84  days  we  had  lived  in  the  open  air.  Our 
habits  were  hard  and  weather-worn.  The  atmosphere  of  a  house 
gave  us  a  sense  of  oppression.  But  we  drank  coffee  at  many  a 
door,  and  listened  to  many  a  song  of  welcome,  greeting  our  de- 
liverance. Here  we  heard  that  traces  of  Sir  John  Franklin's 
party  had  been  found  a  thousand  miles  south  of  our  late  winter 
quarters,  and  that  Lieutenant  Hartstein,  U.  S.  N.,  with  a  steamer 
and  a  tender,  was  in  search  of  us.    We  had  not  been  forgotten 


I 


T 


S6 

While  the  rescued  party  are  supposed  to  be  digesting  the 
news,  including  the  "  latest  from  Sebastopol,"  permit  me  to  in- 
troduce a  representation  of 

H.  B.M.  SHIPS  EESOLUTE  AND  ASSISTANCE, 

as  they  were  left  in  the  ice  by  Sir  Edward  Belcher.  The  view 
is  from  a  photograph  obtained  from  a  drawing  taken  oh  the 
spot.  The  Kesolute  does  not  look  quite  as  trim  as  the  portrait 
of  her  which  you  saw  on  entering  this  room. 

We  embarked  from  Upernavik  in  the  Danish  barque  Mari- 
anne on  the  4th  of  September,  1855,  for  Godhaven,  the  Inspec- 
torate of  North  Greenland,  taking  with  us,  as  a  memento,  the 
"  Faith,"  one  of  our  boats.  On  the  11th,  we  arrived  at  our  des- 
tination. We  had  been  there  some  days  when  a  steamer  with 
a  barque  in  tow  was  announced  from  the  signal  station  as  ap- 
proaching. As  they  drew  near,  our  country's  banner  was  dis- 
cerned.   The  vessels  were  Lieut.  Hartstein's  squadron, 

THE  ARCTIC  AND  RELEASE! 

For  the  last  time  the  little  "  Faith"  was  lowered  into  th« 
water.  All  the  crew  and  our  honored  commander  were  soon 
on  board.  We  pulled  with  a  will  and  were  quickly  alongside 
the  steamer.  I  will  describe  the  meeting  in  Dr.  Kane's  charac- 
teristic words : 

"  Captain  Hartstein  hailed  a  little  man  in  a  ragged  flannel 
shirt— 'Is  tliat  Dr.  Kane?'  With  the  'Yes'  that  followed, 
the  yards  were  manned  by  our  countrymen  and  cheers  wel- 
comed us  back  to  the  social  world  of  love  which  they  repre- 
sented." 


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29 


Treadwell  &  Go's 
ST.   NICHOLAS  HOTEL, 


fi^mw  ^Qjfkm^ 


GENIN'S 
Ladies'  and  Children's  Outfitting 

ST.  NICHOLAS  HOTEL,  NEW  YORK. 


PHALON'S 

ESTABLISHMENTS, 

197  &  517  Broadway, 

NEW  YORK. 


TIFFANY  &  CO., 


NEW  YORK. 


80 


W.  DELAMANO, 


•po 


AND 


PAINTER  IN  FRESCO, 


488  BROADWAY,  NEW  YORK. 


E.  FHALON, 

~  191  &  611  BROADWAY,  NEW  YORK. 


1 


D.  DEVLIN  k  CO., 

25a,  259  &  260  Bii|giway, 

NEW  YORK. 


fOOEHII  &  WHITIME  * 

Upholstery,  Paper  Hangiiigs,  &c. 

632  BROADWAY,  NEW  YORK. 


i~t»-..( 


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31 


GENIN"'  HAT  STORE, 


214  Broadway, 

NEW  YORK. 


BALL,  BLACK  &  CO., 

247  Broadway, 


NEW  YORK. 


J.  S£>  €.   BERRIAN, 

House  Furnishing  Hardware, 

601  BROADWAY,  NEW  YORK. 


E.  V.  HAueHWOUT  &  CO., 
Plain  &  Ornamental  China,  Glass  Ware,  &c., 

488,  490  &  492  BROADWAY,  N.  Y. 


u 


ARCTIC    EXPLORATIONS, 

2  Vols.  8vo. 
BY  DR.  E.  K.  KANE. 

Childs  &  Peterson,  Philadelphia,  Publishers. 


GIRARD  HOUSE, 


Philadelphia,  Pa. 


CHAS.    OAEJ'ORD, 

HAHER, 

Chesnut  st.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


CHESNUT  ST.,  PHILADELPHIA. 


#/i 


GILMOR   HOUSE,  , 

BALTIMORE,  MD. 


RETEKE    HOUSE, 

BOSTON,  MASS. 


►^f  Of  ^'/ 


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